


Farm House

by Istoletime



Category: The Last of Us, zombies - Fandom
Genre: Adventure, Ellie The Last Of Us, F/M, Gaming, Horror, Joel The Last Of Us, Multi, Naughty Dog - Freeform, Other, Playstation games, TLOU, TLOU2, The Last of Us - Freeform, Zombies, ellie and joel, ps4, the last of us 2, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24289108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Istoletime/pseuds/Istoletime
Summary: After Joel had rescued Ellie from St Mary's Hospital they had some way to go until they reached Tommy's Community in Jackson, the road ahead of them was long and treacherous. They stumble upon an old abandoned Farm House, would one night of shelter be the last night they'll ever see?
Relationships: Family - Relationship, Friendship - Relationship, father and daughter - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. The Gas Station

**Author's Note:**

> This will be my first long fanfiction about The Last Of Us, I've got an idea for a fanfic and I thought I'd post about it. It's work in progress though, I think it will be four chapters long. But I'm unsure yet, I'll see how it flows. I hope you all like it, reviews are most welcome.
> 
> -The Last Of Us is owned by Naughty Dog/ Sony Computer Entertainment
> 
> -Some of the parts of this fanfiction are in the game, other parts aren't in the game.
> 
> Keep safe and enjoy!

Spring 2034

Ellie couldn't remember much after waking up in the back of the car, her mind was still foggy. She could remember making her way with Joel through some Underground Tunnels filled with the Infected and many abandoned vehicles, then water. A lot of water and darkness, but everything after that was still fuzzy. Joel had told her everything about St Mary's Hospital and the Fireflies, it seemed like their journey had been for nothing after all.

The Fireflies were unable to develop a vaccine, they had basically stopped looking for a cure now. But they had learnt something new, there were other people like Ellie out there that were immune to the virus. The news had upset Ellie, she had many hopes for helping humanity since she was immune to this horrible virus. She had thought she was the key to the cure, Tess had even believed in it too.

Ellie glanced over her shoulder when the car drove over something, she felt it bump beneath the car's wheel. She sat up on the backseat and stared out of the window while she yawned loudly, she could see vast green countryside whizzing passed the car's window. It was beautiful, there were mountains far away in the distance and a lake. The sky was blue and the sun was shining down on the greenery around them, it was beginning to feel more like Spring now.

" Finally awake, huh?" Joel asked.

" Yeah..." Ellie replied.

Ellie looked down at her hospital gown she was still wearing, all of her clothes were still at St Mary's Hospital. But luckily Joel had managed to grab her backpack on the way out, she kept her personal belongings and the letter from her Mother she treasured dearly in her bag. She climbed into the front of the car and sat down on the passenger's seat, she had no idea were they were right now.

" Where are we?" Ellie asked.

" Casper, Wyoming." Joel replied, he kept his gaze on the road ahead of them. " Another day or two and we'll be in Jackson, it should be straight forward is everything goes to plan."

Ellie nodded her head and rested her elbow on the car's window ledge, she gazed outside and watched the trees passing by the car. She listened to Joel telling her about Tommy's community and how they would be safe there, they would finally have a place to call home. Ellie was looking forward to seeing Tommy and Maria again, she actually liked them even if their meeting wasn't the greatest of introductions.

" Are you okay?" Joel asked.

" Uh-uh." Ellie replied.

" Ellie, are you listening to me?" Joel asked.

" Yeah! I'm fine, I mean..." Ellie said, she paused for a moment. " Do you think we can stop somewhere? I mean I wouldn't mind getting some new clothes, I can feel a draft up this fucking hospital gown!"

" Alright, I passed a Gas Station sign not long ago." Joel replied. " We could do with some more fuel for the tank anyway, maybe if we're lucky we'll find you some clothes there."

" Cool, maybe we'll find some food there too." Ellie said.

" Wishful thinking kiddo, but we'll see..." Joel said.

Ellie smiled slightly and continued looking out of the window, she saw a Gas Station sign saying three miles on it. She pointed the sign out to Joel, he told her they would be there soon enough. It wasn't long until they pulled up in front of the abandoned Gas Station, Joel turned the car's engine off and got out of the car first. He told Ellie not to wander too far since they weren't familiar with these parts.

Joel opened the car's trunk while Ellie got out of the car, she closed the door behind her. She stared at the abandoned Gas Station, it was weather beaten with overgrown plants hanging down from the gutters and the door to the building was missing. There was two cars parked either side of gas pumps, they looked in pretty good condition even if their bodywork was getting rusty. She looked over at Joel and joined him at the back of the car, she then took her backpack from the trunk.

" Be careful in there." Joel said, he handed her a torch from the trunk. " See what you can find, I'll be right outside if you need me."

" Thanks Joel." Ellie said.

Joel took two green petrol containers and a rubber pipe from the trunk of the car before he closed it, he then went to search the two abandoned cars. Ellie flicked the torch on as she walked towards the Gas Station, she was making sure it worked before she explored the abandoned building. She walked up the stone steps of the building, she saw an empty Bubblegum Machine and an old Newspaper Box, she had never tried bubblegum before which annoyed her slightly.

" Hey Ellie!" Joel said.

" Yeah?" Ellie asked, she stopped outside of the building's doorway and looked over at Joel. " What's up?"

" Mind the broken glass." Joel replied.

Ellie looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes, she had no shoes on. She told Joel okay as she entered the building, she needed to find some sneakers if she couldn't find any clothes. She shone her torch around the old store and looked at her surroundings, there was hardly anything in here. The cash register was still on it's counter, there were empty shelves and a few old magazines scattered across the floor, it had been raided long ago by the looks of it.

Tucking some loose strands of her hair behind her ear Ellie kept exploring the store, she found three packets of unopened shoelaces and a dented can of peas. She put them in her backpack and opened a door at the back of the store, she shone her torch inside of it. There were overturned boxes and clothes hanging on a rail near a broken window, it looked like it use to be a stockroom. She jumped sightly when she saw a mannequin partly covered with a blanket in the corner of the room, she had almost shit herself with fear at the sight of it.

" Fucking... stupid thing!" Ellie yelled.

" Are you okay in there Ellie?!" Joel asked.

" I'm fine, just a stupid mannequin!" Ellie replied with a frown " I mean why keep that thing in the stockroom?! I nearly shit myself!"

" You be careful in there, you hear!" Joel said.

" I hear ya!" Ellie said.

Ellie entered the stockroom while she closed the door behind her, she walked over to the rail of clothes and looked through them. She checked the clothes sizes, some were kid sizes and others were for adults. She managed to find a green t-shirt in her size and a checkered lumberjack styled jacket, she even found a pair of blue jeans. She hung her backpack over the back of a broken chair and place her torch on the window sill, she took the t-shirt from it's hanger while she read what it said on the front of the shirt.

" Keep hanging in there, baby!" Ellie said with a slight smile. " What the fuck does that mean?"

Ellie quickly got dressed into the clothes she had found, they fitted her perfectly. She hung the hospital gown on a hanger and hung it up with the rest of the clothes on the rail, next she rummaged around in some boxes until she found some sneakers. They weren't a matching pair but that did matter, she put them on and hung her backpack over her shoulder. Grabbing her torch she left the stockroom and headed back to the courtyard of the Gas Station, there was hardly anything useful in the store.

" Joel, there's hardly anything in here!" Ellie said.

Ellie lingered in the doorway of the building while she watched Joel, he had already got one full petrol container. Joel opened the petrol cap on the other car and inserted the pipe into the car's fuel tank, he then sucked air in the pipe. The petrol soon began to flow from the pipe, Joel quickly connected it to the other petrol container and let it fill up. Ellie walked over to Joel and switched the torch off, she wouldn't mind learning how to pump petrol from cars someday.

" Can you teach me how to do that?" Ellie asked.

" We'll see." Joel replied while he got to his feet. " Why don't you get in the car, I'm nearly done here."

" Okay, but let me ask you something first." Ellie said.

" Alright, what do you wanna know?" Joel asked.

" What do think of my new outfit?" Ellie asked, she gave Joel a twirl. " Not too Lumberjack? It wasn't the look I was going for, but it's going to have to do for now."

" Maybe I should start calling you Lumberjack Ellie." Joel replied.

" Fuck you, it's Miss Lumberjack Ellie to you." Ellie joked.

" Yes ma'am!" Joel said with a chuckle." Go on now, get in the car."

Ellie placed her backpack on the hood of the abandoned car, she then did a supermodel pose and pushed her lips together. Joel chuckled at her when she did a little catwalk, she twirled around on the soles of her sneakers and did a silly pose. She burst out laughing when Joel shook his head at her while he faced palmed, she grabbed her backpack from the car's hood and hurried to the car.

" Don't be too long, old man!" Ellie said.

" Give me two minutes!" Joel said.

" You've got one minute!" Ellie said.

Opening the door to the car she placed her backpack down on the floor and sat on the passenger seat, she then closed the door. She watched Joel for a moment before she turned her full attention the road ahead of them, it was all wilderness from here on out. She sighed to herself and leaned back against the seat, it wasn't long until she heard the car's trunk open.

Ellie looked into the car's side mirror and watched Joel filling up the car, it wasn't long until he was finished. He placed both of the petrol containers into the trunk and slammed it shut, he then got into the driver's side. Joel started up the car and put his seat belt on, Ellie followed his lead and put her seat belt on too.

" Did you find anything useful in the Gas Station?" Joel asked.

" A can of peas and some unopened shoelaces." Ellie replied.

" Not much then, huh?" Joel asked.

" Nope." Ellie replied.

" We'll be alright, I'll find us something to eat later." Joel said.

" Any chances we'll find some french fries?" Ellie asked.

" Oh i don't know, we can always dream." Joel smiled.

Joel pulled out of the Gas Station and soon they were driving along the road, Ellie watched the changing countryside outside of the car's window. Ellie heard a rumble of thunder in the distance, she looked up at the sky and she saw grey clouds creeping across the beautiful blue sky. The sun soon disappeared behind some grey clouds and it began to spot with rain, she looked at Joel when he turned the car's window wipers on.

" Oh man, I hate driving in the rain!" Ellie said, her voice was serious for a moment. " All that mud and puddles, argh! It will mess up my new sneakers!"

" Hey, who's doing the driving here?" Joel asked.

" You are..." Ellie replied.

" Don't worry, I'll find us somewhere to shelter if the rain gets too heavy." Joel said.

" Like where?" Ellie asked.

" I don't know yet, we'll figure it out." Joel replied.

" You better." Ellie smiled.

Ellie crossed her arms and blew some of her hair away from her eyes, she returned her gaze back towards the window. The rain wasn't easing off, it was getting worse by the looks of it. Joel kept his eyes on the road ahead of them, they passed a sign saying Willow Bank Farm and Ellie pointed it out to Joel. It was getting dark now, the roads weren't safe at night with Hunters and the Infected around some parts of the countryside.

" How about that place?" Ellie asked, she looked at Joel. " Maybe we'll get lucky, we should at least check it out."

" Alright we'll check it out, just keep your eyes peeled." Joel said.

" Okay." Ellie said.

Joel kept driving until they got to a left turn in the road, he stopped the car and looked at a sign on the roadside. Ellie peered at the sign through Joel's side of the car, she could see the words Willow Bank Farm written across it. The paint was faded on the sign, it looked pretty old.

" What do you think?" Ellie asked.

" The sign looks old, but the farm could still be standing." Joel replied.

" Let's get moving then." Ellie said.

Joel told Ellie to keep her eyes peeled as he turned the car left down the dark country road, she nodded her head and pulled her switchblade from her backpack. Ellie was ready to fight if needed, who knows what lay ahead of them.

To Be Continued...


	2. The Old Farm House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my second chapter to my fanfiction based around The Last Of Us, it's work in progress though. I've got an idea of where I'm going with this story now, I'm getting new ideas while I write it. I hope you all like it, reviews are most welcome.
> 
> -The Last Of Us is owned by Naughty Dog/ Sony Computer Entertainment
> 
> -Some of the parts of this fanfiction are in the game, other parts aren't in the game.
> 
> Keep safe and enjoy!

The Old Farm House

The rain was still coming down heavy, the car's window wipers moved side to side and Ellie couldn't help but make a weird swishing sound with each movement the wipers made. The country lane was bumpy and worn down which caused Ellie to sway side to side with ever bump or hole the car drove over. The road ahead of them was dark and eerie, they could hardly see anything because of the rain. The trees that lined the road were tall and old, their branches loomed over the car like witches fingers.

Joel was focused on the road ahead of them, he dared not turn the car's headlights on in case it drew attention to them. Ellie peered out of the car's window and saw flashes of lightning through the gaps in the trees, there was a storm coming. Ellie wasn't a fan of storms, the lightning in the sky was pretty but the rumbles of thunder always made her feel uneasy. Her best friend Riley once told her that thunder was the noise that the Bogeyman's stomach made when he'd had his fill of children for the night, she knew it was bullshit but it use to frighten her when she was a kid.

" Do you see anything yet?" Ellie asked.

" Not yet, this country road could go on for miles." Joel replied.

" I hope it ends soon, this road is so fucking creepy!" Ellie said while she turned her full attention to Joel. " It's like something out of one of those stories you read about in books, you know horror novels."

" Those are just made up stories." Joel said.

" I know that, but still..." Ellie said.

" I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." Joel said.

" I'm going to hold you to that..." Ellie said.

Joel smiled at Ellie for a moment before his attention was drawn back to the road ahead of them, the car continued to jerk now and again due to the bumpy road. Ellie squinted her eyes when she saw something ahead of them, the flash of lightning had outline a building for a brief moment. Ellie pointed straight ahead and told Joel about what she had just seen with excitement in her voice, he told her calm down.

The building Ellie had seen was becoming more clearer to them, they could see it much better now. Joel drove the car up the old driveway and stopped it outside of the garage, he told Ellie to take the wheel. Joel got out of the car and Ellie climbed into the driver's seat, he signaled to her to turn the car's headlights on before he opened the garage's door. She did as Joel had asked, the car's headlights lit up the empty garage, she then slowly drove the car forward into the used garage.

Ellie stopped the car and turned off the headlights, she then pulled the handbrake up. Joel closed the garage's door while Ellie turned the engine off, she took the keys from ignition and opened the car's door. Joel was soaked through due to the rain, Ellie handed him the car keys before she grabbed her backpack from the floor. She got out of the car and walked over to the wall, she put her backpack on while she sniffed.

" Nice driving there Ellie, you've improved." Joel said.

" What can I say? I learnt from the best." Ellie said, she turned around face him. " I'm talking about you when I say the best, now if only you'd teach me how to swim and play the guitar."

" One thing at a time, kiddo." Joel replied.

Joel closed the car's door and opened the trunk, he took his backpack from it. Ellie lingered around the front of the car, she turned her torch on and shone it around the garage. The garage was empty, there was nothing in here besides a poster of a kitty hanging from a washing line on the wall and some empty wooden shelves. She shone her torch on the ceiling and saw a light bulb still in it's fixture, it was rare that you saw light bulbs these days.

Ellie took her switchblade from her jacket pocket while she waited for Joel, she shone her torch on the connecting door to the main part of this old Farm House. She tilted her head to one side when she heard a creaking sound coming from the other side of the door, she shone the torch towards the gap between the floor and the bottom of the door. She swore she had seen a shadow move beneath the door's gap, but her eyes could have been playing tricks on her since it was dark. She joined Joel at the trunk of the car and told him about what she had just seen.

" Joel, I swear I saw a shadow on the other side of the door!" Ellie said, she pointed towards the connecting door with her switchblade. " The shadow crept beneath the door's gap for a moment before it disappeared! I don't think we're alone here, we should leave!"

" You're probably imagining things." Joel said. "

" But I wasn't!" Ellie said.

" Ellie, keep calm..." Joel said.

" Fuck calm!" Ellie said. " I've just got a bad feeling about this place..."

" We'll do a quick sweep of the house, if anything looks out of place we'll leave." Joel said while he took a box of bullets out of his backpack. " Do we have a deal?"

" Fine, if something attacks you don't come crying to me!" Ellie said.

Joel loaded his revolver and checking the rest of his weapons in the trunk, he decided to take his shotgun with him. He gave Ellie his 9mm pistol, he told her not to use it unless it was necessary. Joel put his backpack on and closed the car's trunk, he then turned his clip-on torch before he clipped it onto his shirt's pocket. He locked the car next and put the car keys in his pocket, he then told Ellie not to touch anything in the house.

" Alright, let's see what we can find." Joel said.

Joel took the lead and Ellie followed closely behind him, she put her switchblade back into her jacket's pocket while she walked. She watched Joel open the connecting door to the Farm House, she almost held her breath when she heard the door's hinges squeak. Joel told Ellie not to wander too far, Ellie didn't plan to leave Joel's side anytime soon. Her fingers tightened around her pistol's grip, she kept her guard up while she followed Joel into the unknown.

" Do you see anything yet?" Ellie whispered.

" Give me a moment..." Joel replied.

Ellie grabbed hold of Joel's arm, she pulled him closer towards her while they ventured into the dark hallway. Ellie shone her torch around the room, she saw old family photographs on the walls and a beautiful painting of a mountain range near the staircase. There was a corner side table with an unbroken blue vase on it still, she could also she a red flowered rug that lead into what looked like the living room area.

" This place looks untouched, do you think someone lives here?" Ellie asked.

" Maybe, I'm unsure..." Joel replied.

Joel lead Ellie forward, they searched each room in house together. Some parts of the building were undamaged and others were just empty rooms, the upstairs part of the Farm House wasn't any better. Two of the bedrooms had been overturned and one bedroom still had it's normal layout, it looked like a kids bedroom. There was a horrible smell lingering in the kids bedroom though, it smelt like rotting eggs mixed with human waste.

The wallpaper of the room was pealing away from the walls, they could make out pink and yellow flower above the bed. There was framed leaves from trees and a note board full of faded photographs, there was even an old teddy bear sitting at the end of the already made bed.

Ellie let go of Joel's arm and explored the room while she covered her nose up with her jacket's sleeve, she could see a pile of children's books stacked up against the wardrobe. There were boxes of canned food, also three opened suitcases full of clothes and five homemade candles in a golden candelabrum.

Joel opened the closet's door and looked inside of it, there were children's clothes hanging up inside of it. Ellie looked up at ceiling when she heard something scurrying above her, she moved backwards until she knocked her leg on the bedpost.

" What was that?" Ellie asked.

" It sounds like rats in the attic." Joel replied, he closed the closet's door and picked a photo frame up from the bed's side cabinet. " I think you're right about someone being here."

" I knew someone was here!" Ellie said.

" Yeah, maybe a kid by the looks of it." Joel said.

" Maybe they're hiding from us, we should help them if so..." Ellie said.

Ellie pulled the bed's blanket back and coughed when a vile smell wafted from beneath the bed, she peered beneath the bed with her torch in her hand. She swore quickly while she moved away from the bed, she called for Joel and covered up her mouth.

" Holy shit, Joel!" Ellie said.

" Stay back..." Joel said.

Joel flipped the bed over, a body was yanked from beneath a blanket and moved with the bed. It was body of a girl, she had been handcuffed to the leg of the bed. The girl's clothes were bloodstained and ripped, her dark curly locks were scraggy. One of her legs was missing and her mouth was ripped open on it's left side, there was dried bloodstains on the wooden floor where her leg stump had been resting before the bed was moved.

" Oh fuck..." Ellie said.

Joel knelt next to the corpse and picked a book up from the floor, it looked like a diary from where Ellie was standing. She joined his side and shone her torch on the book, it said inside that the diary belonged to a thirteen year old girl named Rachel. Joel flipped through it's pages and read a few paragraphs out loud to Ellie, it revealed that this girl was waiting for her Dad to return from a supply run.

" My Papa hasn't return yet, he's been gone for a whole week now." Joel said, he continued to read from the book. " I hope he returns soon, I've seen a strange man standing outside of the barn. I don't know who he is, I'm scared..."

" The poor kid, she sounded terrified." Ellie said.

" There's one more entry, it seems rushed though." Joel said.

" What does it say?" Ellie asked.

" January 12th, the year 2034. The strange man is inside my house, he's coming up the stairs." Joel replied while he closed the book and looked over at the body. " He knows my name, I want my Daddy..."

" Oh man, this is some fucked up shit! "Ellie said with a frown. " Who the fuck would handcuff an innocent kid to bed leg?! She must have been so scared..."

" By the looks of it she's been here for a few months." Joel replied. " I can't see any other injuries on her beside the amputated leg and her face injury, I'm guessing she bleed to death."

Ellie felt sorry for the girl, whoever had done this could still be out there. Joel placed the diary next to the body and covered her up with a blanket, it was the respectful thing to do. Joel got to his feet and looked around the room, he told Ellie not to touch anything. Ellie protested at first, she told Joel that they should at least take some of the canned food because she was starving. But Joel wouldn't allow it, he told her that the canned food may have been tampered with.

" We'll explore the rest of the house and see what we can find, then we'll get the hell out of here!" Joel said, he looked at Ellie over his shoulder. " This place is giving me the heebie jeebies, something isn't right here."

" I told you so!" Ellie said.

" Let's get moving." Joel said

Ellie glanced at the covered up body before she followed Joel into the hallway, they walked down the staircase together and explored the rest of the house. The living room wasn't empty, the couch and old television set were still in their chosen places. Ellie looked through some draws and found two old cassette tapes, she put them in her backpack. She continued to explore the living room, there wasn't anything in this room that would be useful to them.

" Let's check the kitchen next." Joel said.

" Okay." Ellie said.

Ellie shone her torch along the hallway while she followed Joel, they soon entered the kitchen area. Joel began to open cupboard doors and counter draws, he managed to find some canned soups inside one of the cupboards. He placed them down on the counter and Ellie unzipped her backpack, she quickly put them in her bag while she looked at each one of them in turn. Her stomach grumbled when she saw a can of spaghetti hoops, she drooled a little and licked her lips. She really liked spaghetti hoops, they were so much softer than baked beans. Joel pointed over to a door and said Ellie's name, he said it may be the kitchen's pantry.

" Want me to check it out?" Ellie asked.

" Sure, just be careful." Joel replied.

Ellie put her backpack on while she walked over to the door, she turned the door's handle and opened the door wide. She shone her torch inside of the pantry, but to her surprise it revealed a staircase instead of a room. Joel placed his hand on her shoulder, he told Ellie that it was a cellar. He went onto tell her that farmers kept pickled goods and other jarred food items down there, it's what the old country folk use to do in the old times.

" Shall we check it out?" Ellie asked.

" Alright, let's make it quick." Joel replied.

Joel told Ellie not to leave his side, he was getting bad vibes from their surroundings. The stairs creaked beneath their weight, the cellar seemed to get darker with each footstep they took down the staircase. Ellie covered her nose up with her jacket's sleeve once again, something smelled funky down here. It smelt like rotting meat and dampness, it was so overpowering.

" It smells like rotting shit down here!" Ellie said.

Joel somehow managed to tolerate the smell, he didn't even flinch or complain about it. They continued to walk down the staircase until they reached the bottom, Ellie shone her torch around the cellar while Joel walked ahead of her.

The cellar wasn't that big which was a good thing, there was three bookcases with jars on it's shelves and a wooden crate beneath a window. An old bicycle hung from the ceiling and she could see five dolls sitting on a blanket with teacups on their laps, it looked like they were having a tea party. A flash of lightning lit up the cellar for a brief second, it revealed several rabbit's feet hanging above them from the ceiling.

" Who lives down here?" Ellie asked, she smirked to herself and joked. " That masked dude from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so fucking creepy!"

" Leatherface?" Joel asked.

" You know about him?" Ellie asked.

" Yeah, I know about him." Joel replied with a sigh. " Me and Tommy saw the movie more than once when we were growing up, late night horror flicks on a Friday night. We use to watch all the classic horror movies together, those were happy times."

" So lucky, I've only ever got to read about them in books..." Ellie said.

Joel chuckled and carried on searching the cellar, he stopped by some boxes and rummaged through them. Ellie checked out the bookcases, there were jars of pickled fruit and vegetables. She pulled a face when she read a label on a jar, it said pickled onions. She had only tried pickled onions once when she was very young, they were too tangy for her taste buds. Resting her finger tips on one of the jars she shone the torch on it, she gasped loudly and quickly called for Joel.

" What the fuck is this place?!" Ellie asked, she sounded panicked. " Holy shit, they have a human foot in a jar!"

" Ellie don't touch that!" Joel said.

" I'm not touching it, I'm just looking at it!" Ellie said.

" We're leaving, now!" Joel said.

" But Joel..." Ellie said.

" Now, Ellie!" Joel said.

Joel hurried over to Ellie and grabbed hold of her hand, he then began to lead her towards the staircase. They reached the bottom of the staircase and froze when they heard footsteps upstairs above them, they weren't alone in this house. Joel turned his clip-on torch off and beckoned Ellie to do the same with her torch, he then lead her beneath the cellar's staircase. Joel whispered to Ellie, he told her to keep quiet and to remain hidden at all times.

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued...


	3. The Cellar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my third chapter to my fanfiction based around The Last Of Us, it's work in progress though. I've got an idea of where I'm going with this story now, I'm getting new ideas while I write it. I hope you all like it, reviews are most welcome.
> 
> -The Last Of Us is owned by Naughty Dog/ Sony Computer Entertainment
> 
> -Some of the parts of this fanfiction are in the game, other parts aren't in the game.
> 
> Thank you for the reviews, faves and alerts!
> 
> Keep safe and enjoy!

The Cellar

Ellie and Joel listened to the footsteps, they could hear the person moving around in the kitchen above them. Each creak of the floorboards put Ellie on edge, she gulped hard and whispered to Joel. She asked how they planned on getting out of here and how would they be able to reach the car without being noticed, but Joel told her to sit tight while he dealt with the unwanted guest above them.

Joel checked his revolver's barrel and jerked it shut, he then quietly crept from their hiding place. Ellie watched him closely, he told her he could see a light shining through the gap beneath the door. Ellie joined his side and peered up the staircase too while she rested her hands on the banister, she could see a shadow moving around from the other side of the door.

" How many people do you think is up there?" Ellie whispered.

" I don't know..." Joel replied, his speaking tone was quiet. " I'm guessing maybe one or two, I'm unsure. It may not even be a person..."

" The Infected?" Ellie asked.

" Maybe..." Joel replied.

" Rachel's diary mentioned a strange man hanging around outside of the barn, do you think it's him?" Ellie asked.

" It could be, we won't know until I go up there." Joel replied.

Joel beckoned Ellie back into their hiding place beneath the staircase, he crouch with her and took off his backpack. He placed it down next to Ellie and took an axe from a table near them, he then pointed over to the closed window above wooden crate. He told her to escape through that window if he didn't return in ten minutes, he crept out of their hiding place and headed towards the staircase.

Ellie followed after Joel and grabbed hold of his arm, she shook her head at him while she tried to pull him back to their hiding place. She didn't want him to go up there, she'd be a sitting duck down here if something happened to him.

" Joel, don't go up there alone!" Ellie whispered. " Let me back you up!"

" Ellie, stay here..." Joel whispered, he looked at Ellie and rested his hand on her shoulder. " If anything goes wrong I want you to take my backpack and run, don't wait for me! Find Tommy and Maria, they'll look after you."

" Fuck that dude, I'm not leaving you behind!" Ellie whispered.

" Dammit Ellie, do as I say!" Joel whispered.

" I'm not leaving you!" Ellie whispered.

" Alright, just stay here then and keep hidden..." Joel sighed.

" Just be careful, okay?" Ellie asked.

" You've got my word, kiddo." Joel replied.

Ellie nodded her head at Joel, he pointed his finger towards hiding place beneath the staircase and ordered her to get back under there. Ellie did has she was told, she hid back beneath the staircase while Joel crept up the stairs. Each footstep Joel took the steps of the staircase creaked beneath his weight, the steps were old and rotting way. Ellie looked up above her when she felt some dust falling onto her face, she covered up her mouth and nose so she didn't breath in any of the dust.

Keeping her gaze on Joel she watched him open the cellar's door slowly, light crept through the doorway while Joel left cellar and then darkness came when the door was closed behind him. Ellie jumped when she heard a gunshot, there was quickened footsteps and a thudding sound coming from the kitchen above the cellar. She heard Joel's muffled voice and then a crashing sound, she heard someone yelling.

Put it down!

Ellie covered her ears when she heard more gunshots, it sounded like a full blown gun fight was going on up there. Backing into the corner beneath the staircase she grabbed her 9mm pistol when the door of the cellar was roughly kicked open while a flash of lightning lit up the cellar for a moment, she held her breath when she heard the door slam shut.

The cellar became silent, there was a rumble of thunder while someone began to walk down the staircase. Their footsteps were heavy, she gazed up at the stairs above her and a helm of a long dark coat came into her view. She knew one thing for sure, it wasn't Joel

Ellie froze when the stranger reached the bottom of the staircase, she could only make out the person's outline. A flash of lightning from outside lit the cellar for a few seconds, the person was tall and they wore a fedora hat. She could hear the person breathing heavily while they walked around the cellar, they touched jars on the shelves and rattled something in their pocket. The person kept making clicking sounds, it was like they were mimicking the sounds a Clicker would make when they were using their sonar pulse to see their surroundings.

Creeping forward Ellie left her hiding place, she aimed her pistol towards the person and told them to freeze. The person stopped dead and slowly turned around to face her, an eerily chuckled came from the person while their gaze fixed on Ellie. She couldn't see the person's face properly, but she could make out now that the person was male. He raised both of his hands in surrender, but the guy gave Ellie the creeps.

" Hello Ellie." The man said, his voice was hoarse. " How are you today?"

" How the hell do you know my name?!" Ellie asked.

" I've been watching you since you arrived at my beautiful home." He said.

" How long have you been watching us?!" Ellie asked, her fingers tightened around the gun's grip. " Answer me fucker!"

" Well aren't you feisty..." He chuckled.

Ellie fired a warning shot above the man's head, dust and pieces of wood fell from the wooden beam above him. The strange man didn't even flinch, he just laughed and dusted his coat off with his hand. Ellie frowned at him, she kept her gaze on him while she stepped backwards towards the staircase. She had to get out of here, she was worried about Joel.

" Who are you?!" Ellie asked.

" I'm you're host, you can call me... " He plaused for a moment. " Leatherface."

" Fuck you asshole!" Ellie yelled, her speaking tone was serious." Where's my friend?!"

" He's taking a nap, he's very tired you see." Leatherface said.

" If you've hurt him I'll fucking kill you!" Ellie frowned.

" Play nice little girl, you may get hurt." Leatherface said.

" I'll show you how nice I can play! " Ellie yelled.

Ellie fired her pistol more than once at the man, one of the bullets hit the man in the arm and the other smashed a jar on the shelf. He stumbled backwards while he brought his hand to his arm's wound, he groaned in pain as his gaze fixed on Ellie once again. A flash of lightning and rumble of thunder couldn't hide the man's insane laughter, but without warning the man pounced at Ellie. Her 9mm pistol was knocked from her hand, he roughly grabbed hold of her around waist and lifted her up from the ground, she then screamed for Joel.

" Joel!" Ellie yelled while the man tried to put his hand over her mouth."JOEL!"

" Pipe down!" Leatherface yelled. " It only hurts if you struggle!"

" Let go of me fucker! " Ellie yelled.

Ellie fought him off with all of her might, she bit his hand more than once and his hold loosened around her waist. She then kicked him hard in his right shin and stomped on his left foot, she managed free herself from his arms. He yelled while he stumbled backwards, Ellie took this chance and pushed him into one of the bookcases. He collided with the bookcase, the jars of the shelf smashed around his feet. She grabbed hold of the bookcase and pushed it on top of him, he fell to the ground with a almighty thud.

The cellar filled with the most horrible and strong smell, it was undecidable. A flash of lightning revealed things Ellie didn't want to see, people's heads and body parts were scattered around her feet. She quickly turned around and hurried up the staircase, she grabbed at the door's handle while she threw her shoulder against the door. The door was locked, she was trapped down here with that psychopath.

" Joel!" Ellie yelled." Can you hear me?! Joel!"

Ellie banged against the door with her fists, she pushed her body against the door and continued to yell for Joel while she rattled the door's handle. She felt someone grab her from behind, the smell of rotting flesh and blood filled her nostrils. She was pulled away from the door while the sound of horrible laughter filled her ears, she thought fast and pushed her feet against the door before she pushed backwards into the man with her body. It caused him to stumble backwards, he lost his footing on the stairs and fell down the staircase with Ellie still in his arms.

Luckily for Ellie the man took most of the battering from his tumble down the stairs, she rolled from his arms when he hint the floor and she quickly got to her feet. She kicked him a few times in the face before she looked around the cellar, she then noticed the window Joel had pointed out to her earlier. She hurried over to it and climbed onto the wooden crate, she managed to open the window. It was pouring down with rain still, she pulled herself up and slid through the window easily.

A hand reached for Ellie's foot but the man's hand missed her foot by inches, she shuffled away from him and got to her feet. The rain soaked through her clothes, she breathed heavily as the man's face peered at the window. A flash of lightning revealed the man's features to her, he was clean shaven with piercing blue eyes and a scar running across his top lip. A horrible smile crept across his face, his two front teeth stuck out like a Bugs Bunny's teeth.

" I'm coming for you Ellie!" Leatherface sang.

" Fuck you!" Ellie yelled.

" Don't run too far, I'll keep Joel warm for you until you're reunited!" Leatherface laughed.

Ellie opened her mouth to say something to him but the man disappeared from the cellar's window, she was hesitant before she began to runaway from the Farm House. She slipped now and again on the muddy grass, but she kept running. The sky flashed with lightning while she continued to run, she had to get away from the man first before she could go back and rescue Joel from the Farm House.

Looking over her shoulder while she kept on running Ellie could see a light shining from one of the bottom windows of the old Farm House, it looked like a lantern light was sitting on a window sill. She yelled when she slipped and tumbled down a small mound, she landed in something wet.

" Get up Ellie, come on..." Ellie muttered.

Ellie got onto her hands and knees while she looked behind her, she couldn't see properly because there was water in her eyes. She wiped her eyes clean with her jacket's sleeve and got to her feet, she needed somewhere to hide until the storm passed or eased.

Ellie looked around at her surroundings, she could see a fence not far away from her and a wonky sign that said private land on it. She kept turning around on the spot with every loud noise that she heard, she had no idea which way she should go. She hurried forward and ran through a muddy puddle, she then climbed over the fence.

Ellie glanced around while she continued to run, she could hardly see the Farm House anymore. She climbed down an embankment and ran through a stream, her sneakers were full of water. Lightning struck a tree a few metres away from her, she swore loudly and headed towards an old abandoned car. She tried to open the car's door but it was locked, she kicked it's wheel and ran further away from the Farm House.

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued...


	4. On The Outside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my fourth chapter to my fanfiction based around The Last Of Us, it's work in progress though. I've got an idea of where I'm going with this story now, I'm getting new ideas while I write it. I hope you all like it, reviews are most welcome.
> 
> -The Last Of Us is owned by Naughty Dog/ Sony Computer Entertainment
> 
> -Some of the parts of this fanfiction are in the game, other parts aren't in the game.
> 
> Thank you for the faves and alerts!
> 
> Keep safe and enjoy!

On The Outside

The rain was easing off while Ellie continued to run, the storm was finally passing. She reached a tall tree and looked up at it, she could see what looked like a Tree House in it's branches. She saw a rope ladder hanging from the Tree House, she tugged at it first before she began to climb up it. The rope ladder rocked now and again whilst she climbed up it, it wasn't long until she was inside the shelter she had found by chance.

Ellie sat down in the corner of the Tree House, she took her backpack off and rested her head against the wall. Her breathing was heavy and her clothes were soaked through, she was kind of annoyed that her new sneakers were muddy. Closing her eyes she thought about Joel, she had no idea if he was safe with that psychopath in the Farm House. She needed to find a way back inside of that building, but she had no idea how she would gain access if that strange was looking out for her.

Turning her head to one side Ellie opened her eyes and watched the makeshift torn curtains of the Tree House move with wind, her breathing began to steady. Getting onto her knees she peered through the small window of the Tree House, the vest countryside was dark and she could make out the light coming from the Farm House's window. Ellie hadn't come that far as she first thought, she was still in danger of being found by that strange man. She looked over at the rope ladder and pulled it up into the Tree House, she place it in a pile by the trapdoor's entrance.

Ellie sat down and crossed her legs, she looked around at her new surroundings. The Tree House was small and dark, she couldn't see much in the small room. She dared not turn on her torch in case that weirdo saw the torchlight, but her thoughts were soon interrupted by her grumbling stomach. Grabbing her backpack she unzipped it and took one of the cans from her bag, she quickly opened it with her switchblade.

" I need to keep my straighten up..." Ellie muttered.

Pulling the lid from the can Ellie drank from it, the taste of tomato sauce and spaghetti hoops pleased her stomach. The sauce dipped down the sides of her mouth, but she didn't care about that right now because she was starving. Wiping some sauce away from her mouth with the back of her hand she soon turned her attention back toward the window, she could see more lights coming from the Farm House.

" What's that sick fuck doing?" Ellie asked.

Ellie leaned forward and watched the lights, she swore for a moment that she saw the outline of someone from one of the windows. She drank the rest of the spaghetti hoops and zipped her backpack back up, she threw the emptied can across the Tree House before she opened the trapdoor. She peered through the open doorway and looked outside, it was still raining. She began to lower the rope ladder through the trapdoor, she made sure it was fastened properly before she began to climb down it.

" Oh shit..." Ellie muttered

The ladder swayed when she reached the ground, she looked over in the direction the Farm House was located and hurried towards it. She wasn't sure how she would get back inside the Farm House, she would have to fully search the outside of the building before she made an attempt to sneak back inside of the building to find Joel. It wasn't long until Ellie had reached the Farm House, she hid behind a Tractor when she saw a car's headlights coming from the barn.

Peering from behind the Tractor she watched a car reversing from the barn, she could see the strange man in the driver's seat. The car drove off down the old driveway and disappeared into the darkness, Ellie waited until the car was miles away from the Farm House before she left her hiding place.

Ellie looked up at the building, she could see dim lights flickering from some of the windows. She moved forward and explored the outside of the building, she looked through some of the windows and she saw candles on a wooden boxes. She tried to open one of the window but it was locked, she even tried to opened the front door of the building but it was locked.

Hurrying down the steps of the porch Ellie made her way to the other side of the building, she looked up at the building and saw an open window. She shielded her eyes from the rain while she looked for a way up to the open window, she had to find a way into the building but she wasn't sure how she would get up there.

There was a wooden barrel near a drainpipe, but it would be hard to climb up the drainpipe since it would be slippy due to the rain. Her gaze stopped on a wooden wall climber, it looked in pretty good condition. She hurried over to it and pulled at it's wooden frame, it seemed secure.

" Okay, I can do this..." Ellie said.

Ellie carefully began to climb up the wooden wall climber, when she finally reached the top of the wall climber she could see the rooftop of the building. She pulled herself up onto the roof and stopped for a moment to looked at her surroundings, she was making sure the weird guy wasn't coming back yet. She slowly began to crawl across the rooftop, her hands slipped now and again on the roof tiles. It wasn't long until she reached the window, she pulled herself up by holding onto the window's frame and she managed to climb through the window.

Ellie placed her feet down on the floor, she tried to remain quiet since she had no idea when that strange man would return. She saw a closed door across from the window she had climbed through, she tried to opened the door but it was locked. She looked along the corridor and saw a light shinning from beneath a doorway, she slowly made her way along the hallway and slowly opened the door.

" What the fuck..." Ellie muttered.

There was a staircase with two burning candles on one of the steps, it lead upstairs into what looked like the attic. Ellie looked over her shoulder before she closed the door behind her, she carefully walked up the staircase and took one of the candles from the step. She continued to walk forward and she winced each time the stairs creaked beneath her weight. She kept her gaze ahead of her, when she got to the top of the staircase she looked around the attic.

The attic was the long, there were two arched shaped windows on one side of the room and many cardboard boxes stacked up at the other end of the room. Ellie walked forward and moved the candle around to light her way, she noticed a trap door not far from one of the windows. But she stopped dead when she noticed a shadow swinging back and forth on the wall, she looked around the room but she couldn't see where the shadow was coming from.

Ellie walked forward and noticed that the cardboard boxes were not stacked against the wall like she had first though, she peered behind the stacked up boxes. But the sight that greeted her was inhumane, she saw four children's body's hanging from the ceiling. They had ropes around their necks, they had been hung.

" Oh my god..." Ellie muttered.

Ellie stared up at the hanging bodies, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Their hands and feet were bound together, it was a horrible sight to behold. She backed away from them and hurried towards the trapdoor, she opened it up but stopped when she saw newspaper cuttings attached to nails on the trapdoor.

Pulling one of the newspaper cuttings from the trapdoor Ellie used the candlelight to read the newspaper's print, it revealed that the man who called himself Leatherface was infact a child killer. His name was John Michael, he had been sentence to death by Utah State Prison in 2007. He had murdered twelve children over a decade, he hung and gutted them before he defiled their bodies with sexual acts. He had been sentence to death, but due to the Apocalypse it never happened.

Ellie felt sick to her stomach, she needed to find Joel fast. She blew out the candle and left it on the floor of the attic, she then climbed down a ladder to the floor below the attic. She looked around the hallway and she recognized it straight away, she was on the floor where they had found Rachel's body. She hurried along the hallway and down the staircase, she quickly searched the downstairs rooms for Joel.

" Joel!" Ellie yelled.

" Ellie!"

Ellie heard Joel's voice, she kept calling to him until she found him in the kitchen. Joel's hands were bound to an old radiator's pipe, she hurried over to him and hugged him tightly before she pulled herself away from him. Joel smiled at her, his face looked bruised and he had a cut on his bottom lip. She asked him if he was okay, he told her he was fine. Ellie went onto tell him what she had seen in the attic, they needed to escape this place.

" There's bodies, children's bodies in the attic!" Ellie said, she tugged at the ropes around his wrists." He's a murderer, a fucking child killer!"

" How do you know this?!" Joel asked.

" I found old newspaper cuttings nailed on the trapdoor of the attic, he was on death row before the infection took hold of everything." Ellie replied. " He must have escaped from Utah State Prison decades ago, we need to get out of here before he comes back!"

Ellie took her switchblade from her pocket and flipped it open, she began to cut the ropes that bound Joel's legs together. The ropes were tough, the switchblade hardly cutting through them. Joel told her to check for kitchen for a knife, he said he had seen the man putting some knives away in the cutlery draw. She looked around the kitchen while she got to her feet, she noticed a rope hanging from the a metal fixture above the doorway with a hangman's noose tied at the ropes end.

Ellie had got lost in her own thoughts for a moment before Joel said her name once again, she couldn't get the imagines of those poor children out of her head. She looked down at him and nodded her head, he told her to get a move on.

" Okay." Ellie said.

Hurrying over to the kitchen counter Ellie opened many of the draws, some of them were empty and others had junk in them. She finally found the cutlery draw Joel had told her about, there were many kinds of knives inside the draw. Ellie chose a hunting knife, she took it from the draw and hurried back over to Joel's side. She began to cut the rope again, this time she was successful. Joel's legs were finally free, they were on their way to escaping this nightmare.

Pulling the ropes away from Joel's ankles Ellie moved onto his bound hands, she carefully began to cut at the rope with the hunting knife. Joel told Ellie to be quick, but he soon changed his tone when he warned Ellie to run. But without any warning she felt someone grabbed her roughly around her waist, she dropped the hunting knife near the radiator while she was pulled away from Joel. She struggled and kicked her legs, the strange man had finally caught up with her.

" Hello Ellie!" Leatherface chuckled.

" Joel!" Ellie yelled.

The smell of blood filled her nostrils, his clothes were wet and muddy. Ellie was thrown to the floor, she quickly crawled away from the man and hid behind the kitchen counter. She listened to his footsteps, she moved quickly and got to her feet. Leatherface was on the other side of the counter, she took her switchblade from her pocket and held it towards him while she flickered it's small blade from it's holder.

" Stay away from me, asshole!" Ellie frowned.

" Don't be like that, we could be friends..." Leatherface said.

" You're gonna to let us leave, do you hear me?!" Ellie asked.

The man laughed at Ellie's request, but Ellie was deadly serious. She wasn't going to allow him to hurt her or Joel. He held his hands up in surrender while a horrible smirk crept across his face, it was the first time she had a clearer look at his face. He looked old, he must be around the same age has Joel or maybe Tommy. His hair was graying and the scar across the top of his lip looked fresh, it looked like someone had clawed his face.

Ellie moved away from the counter and walked backwards towards Joel, but without any warning the man jumped over the counter. She stumbled backwards and fell onto Joel's lap, her switchblade flew across the kitchen's floor. The man grabbed hold of her ankles and began to pull her away Joel, but Ellie grabbed hold of Joel's legs. She tried her best to hang onto his legs, but her grip soon slipped and she was pulled away from him. Joel struggled and pulled at his bound hands, he yelled to her with panic in his voice.

" Ellie!" Joel yelled.

" Joel!" Ellie screamed.

" Don't you fucking touch her!" Joel yelled.

Ellie reached her hands towards Joel, she watched as he tried to free himself from his bounds. Digging her fingernails into the floorboards she cried out in pain when one of her fingernails bent back, blood began pour from her injured finger. The man let go of her legs and pulled Ellie up by her hair, she cried out in pain while he rough handle her. She brought her hands to the man's hands and struggled, she dragged her feet along the floor as he lead her toward the hangman's noose.

To Be Continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued...


	5. Fight For Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my fifth chapter to my fanfiction based around The Last Of Us, this will be my last chapter for this story. I will write more stories about Ellie and Joel at some point, I want to play The Last Of Us 2 first though. I hope everyone enjoys the new game, it's been a long time coming!
> 
> -The Last Of Us is owned by Naughty Dog/ Sony Computer Entertainment
> 
> -Some of the parts of this fanfiction are in the game, other parts aren't in the game.
> 
> -Ellie grew up in a world of monsters, TLOU isn't about butterflies and rainbows... it's horror.
> 
> Thank you for the faves and alerts!
> 
> Keep safe and enjoy!

Chapter 5!

Fight For Freedom

Ellie groaned as she was pushed hard against the kitchen counter, the strange man pulled her packback off and forced her arms behind her back. The man grabbed some rope and tied her wrists together, she could no longer move her arms. Her head rested against the counter, she turned her head to one side so she could see Joel. He was still trying to break free from his bounds, he looked so angry.

Ellie tried to kick the man with her feet, but it wasn't long until her legs were bound together too. She was roughly pulled up from the counter and forced to looked at the strange man, he then gave her the most cruel smile.

" Do you have any last request?" Leatherface asked.

" How about letting me go!" Ellie replied, she spat at him which earned her a slap across her face. " You fucking freak!"

" Oh I like you, you've got spirit girl!" Leatherface replied with a chuckle. " It's a shame I've got to kill you, but I'm getting hungry..."

" Then eat something normal!" Ellie said.

" How boring!" Leatherface yelled. " You've never enjoyed the flesh of others, have you?"

" I'd rather eat dog shit!" Ellie frowned.

The man laughed and grabbed a knife from the counter, he held it against Ellie's throat while he licked his lips. Her eyes grew wide, she could feel the knife's cold blade pressing against her skin. The man went onto tell Ellie about how he had lured lone children into the Farm House, he promised them food and shelter for the night.

Most of the children were orphans or they were with their younger siblings, some had families with them. He told her he had killed over twenty children since he moved into the Farm House, he had feasted upon their flesh and boiled their bones to make his broth for his soup.

" I gave them false security and hope." Leatherface said.

" You bastard..." Ellie said.

Ellie was disgusted, this man deserved to die for everything he had ever done to others. He told her how he would bound the children and hang them until they were dead, he would then gut them for his supper while they were still alive. She trembled at his words, all those poor children he had butchered.

Leatherface went into to tell Ellie and Joel about Rachel, his words chilled Ellie to her bones. He had murdered Rachel's Father and lingered outside of her home for days to intimidate her, he then stalked her each night until he murdered her in her bedroom.

" Oh Rachel, lovely Rachel." Leatherface said with a smile. " How she screamed for her Father while I cut off her leg, I left her with a pretty smile on her face."

" You're nothing but an animal!" Ellie frowned.

" Listen, you don't have to do this!" Joel said, he pulled at his bound hands once again. " We know who you are, just don't hurt her. Take me instead, let Ellie go!"

" You're too old, I like my meat young and tender." Leatherface said.

Ellie was jerked forward, she stumbled over her own two feet as she was led towards the doorway of the kitchen. She knew where the man was taking her, the hangman's noose. She struggled and dragged her feet along the floor, she could hear Joel yelling at the man.

Joel begged for the man to let her go, but his pleas were ignored. She was lifted up onto a chair, she continued to struggle while the man put the noose over her head. She felt the noose tighten around her neck, tears began to form in her eyes while she looked over at Joel, he was using all of his strength to try and pull the radiator's pipe from the wall.

Their eyes met for a brief moment before the strange man cleared his throat, her bottom lip trembled when the man rested his foot against the chair. Ellie didn't want to die, she wanted to live and see The Jackson Community. She wanted to learn how to swim and play the guitar, she didn't want to leave Joel behind in this cruel world.

" Time to say goodbye." Leatherface said.

" No, don't you do this!" Joel yelled.

"JOEL!" Ellie yelled.

The chair was kicked from beneath Ellie's feet, her body jerked as it was pulled down towards the ground. The rope dug into her neck while she struggled, she felt herself swinging side to side while she fought to breathe. She could hear Joel's voice ringing loudly in her ears, he was telling her to fight. She watched the man holding the blade's tip against her chest, she had to fight to survive. She kicked her feet forward and somehow she managed to knocked the strange man to the floor, she heard him curse loudly.

Many thoughts rushed through her mind, she got flashes of forgotten memories. She saw her Mother waving goodbye to her, she saw Riley dancing with her on the counter top in the old store they had been exploring and then Tess protecting from an Infected person. Imagines of Sam and Henry flashed in front of her eyes, their laughter filled her ears. She then saw Joel teaching her how to shoot a riffle, he was going to miss her.

Ellie felt her eyes rolling into the back of her head, she gasped for air as the rope slowly swayed side to side. She could no longer move her body, she was beginning to feel drowsy, she could feel herself slipping away into the darkness. She heard Joel's voice echoing inside of her head, she couldn't answer him back.

Ellie!

Ellie felt her body rising into the air, she could see a dim light not far away from her. Her head fell backwards and she felt someone supporting her body, the waves of comfort washed over her. She gasped for air as the noose was loosened from around her throat and pulled over her head, someone had saved her life.

Ellie, wake up!

Coughing as she tried to catch her breath Ellie managed to see who had saved her, it was Joel. She had no idea how he had freed himself from the radiator but she was happy to see him. He told her to take it easy while he cut her bound hands and legs, she tried to answer him back but her throat felt sore. Her breathing soon normalized, but she had one question she wanted to ask Joel.

" Where is he?" Ellie asked, her voice sounded hoarse. " Leatherface, the murderer..."

" He's gone, you don't have to worry about him anymore." Joel replied.

" Gone where?" Ellie asked. " Did he get away?"

" He's dead, he won't be hurting anyone anymore..." Joel replied.

Ellie looked around the kitchen, she could see over turned chairs and knocked over candles. The light was dim in the kitchen due to not many candles burning in the room anymore, but she did notice some bloody hand prints on the side of the counter. Whatever had happened to that child killer she was grateful that it had happened to him, Joel had saved her life and the lives of many other innocent children who may stumble across this old Farm House.

" Let's get you out of here." Joel said.

" No, wait!" Ellie said, she grabbed hold of his arm. " We can't leave yet, we need to bury the other children."

Joel didn't even argue with Ellie, he knew she was right about laying the murdered children to rest. He told Ellie that it was too dark to dig some graves for the children right now, they would have to wait until the morning.

Ellie agreed with him, it was still raining and they wouldn't be able to see what they were doing. Joel helped Ellie to her feet, he gave her a hug and told her she was safe now. She snuggled her face into his chest and hugged him back, she knew Joel wouldn't let anything happen to her while he was still had breath in his body.

" Come on, we'll camp in the living room for the night." Joel said.

" Okay." Elie said.

They left the kitchen and settled down in the living room for the night, the candles she had seen from the window were still burning on the table. Ellie sat down on the couch, she took her jacket off and hung it over the back of the couch. She shivered while she took her muddy sneakers off, she felt like an icicle right now. Joel threw a blanket over the back of the couch for her, he told her to get some sleep.

" What about you?" Ellie asked.

" I'll be fine." Joel replied.

" Tough guys don't need to sleep, right?" Ellie asked.

" Damn right." Joel replied with a smile. " Goodnight, kiddo."

" Goodnight." Ellie said.

Joel sat down in the living room's doorway with his shotgun in his hands, he leaned back against the door frame and stretched his legs out across the floor. Ellie peered at him over the back of the couch, she got onto her knees and rested her hands on the couch. She whistled at him and cleared her throat, she was curious about what had happened to the strange man. She knew he was dead and she was happy about that, but she wanted to hear everything that had happened in the kitchen. She couldn't remember much at all, she had been fighting to breath at the time.

" Joel, what happened to that sick fucker?" Ellie asked.

" It's best if we don't talk about it, get some rest." Joel replied.

" Fuck that dude, I wanna know!" Ellie said.

" He's dead, that's all you need to know." Joel said.

" Come on, spill the beans!" Ellie said with a sigh. " What did you do to him?"

Joel sighed to himself and looked over at Ellie, he knew she would keep pestering him until he told her everything that had happened in the kitchen. He went onto tell her about how he had pulled the radiator's pipe from the wall, he had used the hunter's knife Ellie had found to attack the strange man.

They had fought each other, apparently the strange man had nearly gotten away but Joel had thrown the hunter's knife and it had pierced the man's spine. Ellie listened to every word Joel told her, he had hit the man a few times with the radiator's pipe before he straggled the man with his bare hands. He had thrown the man's body down the cellar's staircase after he had rescued Ellie, he didn't want her to see what he had done to that child killer.

" But our stuff is still down there..." Ellie said with a slight frown. " Your backpack and the 9mm pistol, what if he's not dead?"

" Oh he's dead alright." Joel replied.

" How can you be so sure?" Ellie asked.

" Alright baby girl, that's enough questions for now." Joel replied with a sigh. " Get your head down, we've got along day ahead of us."

" What about you?" Ellie asked. " Aren't you going to get some sleep?"

" Not right now, not until we reach Jackson." Joel replied.

Ellie sighed to herself and sat down properly on the couch, no wonder Joel looked so old with all the lack of sleep he got she thought to herself. She lay back on the couch and rested her feet on the couch's arm, she hoped they would reach Jackson soon so they could start their new lives together.

Yawning loudly she felt herself nodding off, but her eyes soon snapped open when she heard a weird sound. She sat up on the couch and looked around the room, her gaze soon settled on Joel. He had fallen asleep, she slightly shook her head when she heard him snoring loudly while she jumped up from the couch.

" Okay Grandpa, it's my turn to look out for you." Ellie sighed.

Ellie walked over to Joel and took his Shotgun from his hands, she sat down nexf to him and kept her gaze on the front door of the Farm House. She could hear the raining hitting the porch outside, the house was dark and still. Leaning back against Joel's shoulder she yawned once again and rubbed at her eyes, she was going to have to fight to stay awake for the rest of the night.

*******************

Morning

Ellie groaned while her eyes slowly opened, there was sunlight shining down onto her face. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes, her back were killing her. When she fully woke up she could see the hallway of the Farm House, it looked so different in the daylight. She could make out the old wallpaper near the staircase, there were little green birds on it and there was wax crayon scribbles on the wooden skirting board.

Ellie got to her feet and explored the hallway, she could see the family photographs clearly now. She took a photo frame from the wall and blew some dust from it, it was a portrait of Rachel with a scuffy little dog.

" Joel, I'm awake!" Ellie yelled.

Running her finger tips across the glass of the photo frame Ellie smiled at the picture, this Rachel girl looked so happy. Looking over her shoulder when she heard Joel call her name she carefully hung the photo frame back up and walked through the house, she noticed bloodstains on the floor in the kitchen. It looked like someone had been dragged through the kitchen, she then remembered what Joel had told her last night. After Joel had straggled the murderer he had dragged the man's body through the kitchen and thrown him down the cellar's staircase, he was dead.

Ellie noticed Joel's backpack and the 9mm pistol on the kitchen's counter, she even found her switchblade on the counter too. She put her switchblade in her jean pocket and walked over to the cellar's door, she tried to open the door but it was locked. She looked down at the floor and saw more bloodstains running beneath it, her attention was soon caught by Joel calling her name once again. It sounded like he was outside, she hurried through the kitchen and opened the side door that lead outside. She stopped on the back porch and admired the view, the farmland beautiful.

Slowly walking down the porch steps Ellie could see vests fields and trees, there was an Orchard about two miles from the building. The sky was blue and the birds were singing in the trees, it felt like the memories from last night were nothing but long forgotten nightmares. She wiggled her toes when she felt the wet grass beneath her feet, she had forgotten to put her sneakers on.

Joel was digging a hole, she could see five body shapes wrapped in old bed sheets. She joined his side and crossed her arms while she watched him digging, he told her he was going to just dig one deep grave instead of five graves because he didn't want to hang around this Willow Bank Farm anymore.

Joel wiped some sweat away from his brow and handed Ellie the shovel, he carefully placed each body into the grave. She watched him placing the last body in the grave before he climbed out of the hole, he was now covered in dirt.

" Shouldn't we say something?" Ellie asked.

" You mean like a prayer?" Joel asked.

" Something like that, do you know any?" Ellie asked.

" I never was a religious man, but something simple should do." Joel replied.

" Like what?" Ellie asked.

" Kind words or song lyrics, something from the heart." Joel said.

Joel took the shovel from Ellie and he began to fill in the grave, his clothes were dirty. She watched him for awhile until she noticed some wildflowers growing in one of the many flowerbeds near the building, she pointed them out to Joel. She told Joel she was going to pick some of the flowers for the children, he told her not to wander too far.

" Be careful, don't wander too far." Joel said.

Ellie told him not to worry before she hurried over to the flowerbeds, there was so many kinds of wildflowers. She didn't really know the names of them but they were beautiful, so many colours and varieties. She picked some yellow and blue coloured flowers, they smelt so sweet.

" Hey Joel!" Ellie said, she looked over her shoulder at him and waved a white flower at him. " Do you have any ideas what these wildflowers are called? They all have different names, right?"

" I bet they do." Joel replied with a smile. " Maybe when we reach Jackson you could ask if they have any nature books."

" Fuck yeah!" Ellie smiled, she couldn't contain her excitement. " Maybe I could take up gardening, they'll have plants there right?"

" Yeah, I bet they will." Joel replied.

" Awesome, I can't wait to learn how to plant things and grow vegetables." Ellie said.

" I thought you were a Lumberjack, don't you remember?" Joel asked.

" Ha-ha! You're so funny!" Ellie sighed.

Ellie turned her attention back towards the wildflowers, she picked a big bunch of them before she returned back to Joel. She watched him pat down the the top of the grave, he took a few steps away from it and threw the shovel on the ground. She gave one of the flowers to Joel before she laid the bunch of wildflowers on the grave, she then stood next to Joel and cupped her hands together.

Ellie remained quiet, she was trying to think of something to say to those poor children who lost their lives because of that strange man. She looked at Joel and he rested his hand on her shoulder, he encouraged her to say something. She focused her gaze on the disturbed ground and took the single white flower from Joel's hand, she then pulled it's seeds away from it's disk.

" I don't really know what to say, I mean I didn't even know your names or where you came from..." Ellie said, she cleared her throat. " You were taken away from life so cruelly, it wasn't fair. I just want to say I hope you find some peace, you know on the other side."

" Amen." Joel said.

" That freak is dead now." Ellie said with a slight smile. " Joel kicked his arse and threw him down the cellar's staircase!"

" Ellie..." Joel said.

" Sorry, I mean..." Ellie sighed. " I just hope you're not in pain anymore, sleep well."

Ellie sprinkled the seeds over the disturbed ground, she told Joel that wildflowers may grow on their grave someday. Joel patted her shoulder and headed back to Farm House, she soon hurried after him. They entered the building by the side door that led into the kitchen, Ellie bolted the door shut while Joel sorted out his backpack. She helped him put some cans into his backpack, they may need some food on their journey to Jackson.

" Your backpack is in the living room, make sure you've got everything before we leave." Joel said.

" Alright." Ellie said.

Ellie left Joel in the kitchen, she headed to the living room and found her backpack on the coffee table. She sat down on the couch and put her damp sneakers on, they felt squishy on her sockless feet. She unzipped her backpack and checked if all of her stuff was there, she took one of the cassette tapes from her bag before she zipped it back up.

" Ellie, we're leaving now!" Joel said.

" Give me a minute!" Ellie yelled.

Ellie put her backpack on and got up from the couch, she grabbed her jacket from the back of the couch while she slipped the white flower into her ponytail. She listened to her sneakers squelching while she walked to the hallway, they were ruined and stinky now. She met up with Joel in the hallway and they walked together to the building's garage, the side door to the garage was still unlocked.

" I hope our ride is okay, I don't fancy walking to Jackson." Ellie said.

" It should be okay, I'll check the car over before we leave." Joel said.

Joel entered the garage first, there was some sunlight shining through a hole in the garage's door. Ellie stood in the doorway and watched Joel unlock the car, he then opened the garage's door. Light filled the garage, the day was pleasant and it was getting warm now.

Joel told Ellie to get into the car while he handed her the car keys, she opened the car's door and climbed into the passenger's side. She rolled the window down and got comfortable on the seat, she watched Joel kicking the car's wheels in the side mirror.

" Everything seems alright back here." Joel said.

" Good, can we leave now?" Ellie asked.

" Give me a minute." Joel replied.

Ellie placed her backpack down on the floor and checked out the cassette tape she had found, there was cute little butterfly stickers on the case. The cassette tape must have belonged to Rachel, she opened the case and read the song list inside of it. There were many songs Ellie had never heard of before on the tape, she read the list and saw the song I Got You Babe by Etta James.

The song jumped out at her, she had heard that song long ago. Her thoughts soon turned to Riley, she hadn't thought about her best friends in a very long time. She missed her dearly, she wished Riley was still around. Joel got into the car and slammed the car shut which interrupted Ellie's thoughts, she handed him the car keys and looked at him.

" What have you got there?" Joel asked.

" A cassette tape, I found it in the living room." Ellie replied. " I think it belonged to Rachel, I thought we could listen to it on our car journey. There's a lot of songs on this tape I've never heard before..."

Ellie showed Joel the song list while he started up the car's engine, the car soon purred like a new born kitten. Joel checked all of his mirrors before he began reversing the car out of the garage, Ellie sat back on her seat and starred out of the window. The car moved forward and they drove down the driveway, they were now on their way to Jackson.

Ellie looked at the Farm House in the car's side mirror, she was happy that they were finally getting away from that place. The Farm House was getting smaller now, it wasn't long until the trees of the country road hid the building from her sight. She hoped that no one else would stumble across that farm, it needed to remain hidden from the world.

Ellie got a glimpse of herself in the side mirror, she touched the rope burns around her neck with her finger tips. Her neck felt sore, she knew the bruises would fate but the memories wouldn't leave her so soon. Her attention was soon drawn to the cassette tape, she pushed the cassette tape into the car's cassette deck and she fiddled with the nobs on it. She had no idea how to turn it on, she soon asked Joel to help her. Joel turned a nob on the cassette deck and pressed the play button, music soon blared from the car's speakers.

Darling, you got to let me know  
Should I stay or should I go?  
If you say that you are mine  
I'll be here 'til the end of time  
So you got to let me know  
Should I stay or should I go?

" Hey, I remember this song..." Joel said.

" You do?" Ellie asked.

" Yeah, I heard it a lot when I was growing up on the radio." Joel replied, he drummed his fingers tips against the stirring wheel. " I was only young at the time, but I remember it. The Clash, the year it was released was 1982."

" You're old, I knew it!" Ellie laughed.

" Alright, settle down." Joel smiled while he brushed his hand against the flower in Ellie's ponytail. " What's with the flower in your hair? Are you going for a new look?"

" I'm saving it." Ellie replied.

" For what?" Joel asked.

" There's some seeds left on it still, I wanted to plant them when we get to The Jsckson Community." Ellie replied with a smile." I wouldn't mind having a little garden, it would be nice just watching things grow for a change."

Joel nodded his head slightly at Ellie, he told her that he liked her idea. She gave him a smile and turned her full attention towards the open window, she watched the old trees passing by the car while she listened to the music.

The country road looked different in the daylight, the tall trees lined the roadside and there was many wildflowers growing on the grassy parts around the trees. She rested her shoulder against the door and held her hand out of the window, she moved her hand like a wave in the ocean. It wasn't long until Joel stopped the car, he turned left and they continued driving along the route they had planned to take before they had chosen to stay at the old Farm House.

**Author's Note:**

> To Be Continued...


End file.
